Yet, he was also made as a servant, to serve and to worship and adore.

Man has been created in a unique position in all of creation. Surely, the psalmist spoke well when he said, What is man that thou are mindful of Him? (Psalm 8:4).

This creation, this creature, was fashioned from clay, yet is destined to judge the world.

This figure, as the scripture says, is placed a little lower than Elohim, often translated as “angels” but also used of God Himself, and yet, man, who will judge the angels, will be judged by God Himself. Some to everlasting salvation, and some to everlasting contempt.

This man, who was created to do something, was given a place and purpose to fulfill and way to serve in the Earth, yet he was eternally designed for connection with another.

In the Old Testament, we see men and women judging on the Earth, not through kingship, but by God’s providing. We see that God desired to govern His nation through a judge, and not a human king. We see that when Israel needed something, He raised up what they cried out for, and delivered them. Yet, He was always their head.

Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Matthew 7:6

The Scriptures are sufficient for the Christian life. They show the way of Salvation, Jesus Christ, and they instruct in righteousness, fully equipping the man of God for every work of service. The Scriptures are not the sum total of everything knowable about God of course, for Jesus Himself said that He had much more that He wanted to share that He couldn’t, because it would be too much for His disciples (John 16:12). The Holy Spirit is here to guide us into all truth. But, when that comes, the object is not necessarily to write a new book about it.

The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

Matthew 13:10

1 Peter 1:8 talks about “joy unspeakable” and “full of glory”. Suppose you had experienced this “joy unspeakable”, and had to explain it to someone else. How would you do that? Well, about the best way you could put it would be that it is, in fact, “joy”, and, it’s so incredible, it’s “unspeakable”, so that words do not even seem to do it justice. That would be about it. You could, perhaps, get a few more adjectives in there. It was so “glorious”. But, unless someone else had even seen “glorious”, they wouldn’t get it. You would be more or less stuck, unable to explain it to them.

Jesus said, Unless you hate your life, you cannot be His disciple (Luke 14:26). He said that unless you forsake everything, you cannot be His disciple. He said, you will always love one and hate the other. Wavering between two opinions only lasts so long.

In case you want to know, it does cost everything. And, you can’t go back. If you look at the life of Lot, you can’t even LOOK back (Luke 17:32).

Consider it this way, you were dead in your transgressions and sins. There was nothing in your old flesh that could be patched up. God didn’t fix your heart, He gave you a new one!

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

Faith in God is a real, active, and living thing. God is alive, and powerful. Faith sees Him, and the word of His power overcomes what cannot be otherwise overcome, and carries a person with it through otherwise impossible situations.

It was by faith in God that David conquered the giant, and it was by faith in God that Jonathan, his friend, along with his armor bearer, single-handedly took on an entire Philistine garrison. It was by faith that overcame their weaknesses and came to be firmly established in the land.

A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.

Luke 6:40

In this life of hungering and thirsting for the Lord, when will it ever be enough? Jesus answers this clear enough:

A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!